For the Love of a Christmas
by LethargyLover008
Summary: The after story for Arthur Christmas. What would happen if the Claus brothers found love with two stow away sisters? It's the age old story of finding the missing half of a heart. Arthur x OC. Steve x OC. Also featuring Malcom/Santa, Grandsanta, and Mrs. Claus
1. Chapter 1: The Blunder

Chapter 1: The Blunder

"I can NOT believe this is happening…and after the fiasco of last year…where is Arthur?" Steve Claus, COO of the North Pole, muttered staring at the two women before him.

"No idea, sir, but I've put out word and he's on his way from…somewhere in…South Korea I think." Peter, Steve's assistant affirmed, checking his H.O.H.O.

"Um, excuse me, but what is going on here? Where are we? I mean not that this strange almost certainly government agency looking place isn't nice but I would like to know how it is my sister and I have ended up in this place." The stranger murmured.

"Mall, don't be rude. Sorry we haven't properly introduced ourselves I'm Melody Miranda Lutz and the rude paranoid person over there is my younger sister Mallory Emilia Lutz. And your name is?"

"Not important." Steve muttered slightly taken off guard by the woman's sudden introduction.

"Oh…well right. I guess it isn't seeing as we'll probably be taken home after this. I'm so terribly sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you." The woman called Melody said dejectedly.

"Oh, Mell, you don't have to nice to this jerk. He obviously doesn't have any manners at all considering how polite you were to him a few moments ago." The woman called Mallory said angrily, glaring at Steve with contempt. Manners. Right. Like she could talk, although she was right, Steve thought, after all her sister was just trying to be polite.

"Sorry, Miss Lutz, I didn't mean to be so abrupt." Steve said apologetically, bowing slightly.

"Oh no, no, please not at all, I mean we have barged into your home after all," Melody stammered, "And please call me Melody, Miss Lutz is what my students call me."

Steve observed the woman's ears and face were the shade of a cherry, it was most becoming on her. She and her truculent sister were both very attractive in different ways. Melody was soft and plump with lush curves and rather large (ahem) breasts, her face was round with large dark brown eyes, a cute round nose and perfect cupid's bow for a mouth. Her hair was a dark brown that was almost black, that in the light had reddish gold high lights and hints of gray here and there. Her sister Mallory had a thin curvy build with a modest bosom, with long brown hair that was lighter in comparison to her sisters, but had the same hints of gray and was highlighted with hints of blond and light brown. Her lips were also full and her nose also round but with a more pronounced bridge, her face was more angular and an ovular shape. The sisters were almost contrasts of loveliness and he found himself favoring Melody's softer beauty to Mallory's angular beauty. In fact…no, no, no, Steve thought to himself, you can't get involved with a woman who's about to leave. Just then, Arthur picked the perfect time to make his entrance, running smack into the last person, Steve thought, who would appreciate it: Mallory.


	2. Chapter 2: The Solution and The Mistake

Chapter 2: The Solution and the Mistake

"Ow…that really hurt, oh no, I'm so sorry miss are you okay…" Arthur murmured frantically looking down at the person he'd accidentally trampled.

"Ow…does it look like I'm okay, watch where you're going okay, Santa?" The girl on the floor mumbled, her long hair shielding her face like a veil of luscious brown silk.

When she finally shifted up facing him Arthur couldn't believe his eyes, he'd knocked over the single most beautiful creature he'd ever seen.

"Hey! Are you listening, Santa?!" The girl snapped, looking none too impressed with him. Okay so he wasn't as muscular and handsome as Steve, but he'd been doing some training with Steve so he was in pretty decent shape, more on the lean side, but still…

"Hey! Pay attention nitwit or I'll kick your butt to next Christmas!" The girl shouted looking more and more irked as the minutes passed.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, wandered off there, wait…did you call me Santa?" Arthur asked suddenly comprehending the last few minutes of the beautiful girl's angry dialogue.

"Uh, yeah, this is Santa's workshop isn't it?" The girl asked looking at Arthur like he was a bit dense, and to be fair after meeting this girl it was nothing but the truth.

"Mallory, please," a soft voice called from the other side of the room, "you don't need to be so rude to him. And you were also at fault standing in the middle of the room gaping at our surroundings."

Arthur turned in the direction of the voice and saw yet another beautiful girl, not nearly as beautiful as the girl he'd crashed into, but also beautiful. The way they looked Arthur was almost certain they were sisters. And the next words from the other girl's mouth proved him right.

"I'm so sorry for my younger sister's rudeness, allow me to introduce myself my name is Melody Miranda Lutz and this is my younger sister Mallory Emilia Lutz, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Santa." The girl called melody said softly, looking mortified.

"Oh no, I must apologize as well Miss Lutz, I was also at fault for crashing into her," Arthur said, then added, "By the way, why do you keep calling me Santa?"

"Well, you are the new Santa aren't you? I'm sorry we didn't explain earlier, you see my sister and I are here as brides for you and your brother Steve. It was an arrangement that was made by our families long ago. You see my sister and I are the descendents of Jack Frost and have been sent her by our parents to fulfill the agreement between our families. I am to be Steve's bride and Mallory is to be yours." Melody explained as if it was the most perfectly obvious thing in the world.

Arthur looked on, stunned by the sudden news, hearing only half consciously in the background, the furious pounding of fingers on a personal H.O.H.O. Obviously their parents had some explaining to do.


	3. Chapter 3: Confrontation and Cookies

Chapter 3: Confrontation and Cookies

Steve's feet pounded furiously up the long hallway to the family's living and dining room, the indistinct melody of Arthur's slippers and the soft and loud footsteps of the Lutz sisters, trailing behind him. Of all the unexpected and unwarranted surpises his parents unloaded on him during his life time this had to make the top of the list, making Arthur being Santa number 2. Steve stopped in front of the living/dining room door and took a deep breath to calm himself, surely the two women were deluded and his parents would set things right. However, knowing his luck, Steve thought grimly, he wouldn't be so lucky; and he was right.

"Mother…Father, I would like your explanation of something." Steve stated calmly from the doorway.

"Oh…and what is that, dear?" His mother looking both amused and neutral replied.

"I would like to know why the two women behind me are of the opinion that they are engaged to Arthur and I." Steve replied back feeling less calm by the minute.

"Well because they are Steve, you are engaged to Melody and Arthur is engaged to Mallory, it's as simple as that." His mother replied evenly, beginning to look cross.

"What a load of rubbish!" Steve exclaimed, patience and tolerance finally exceeded. Arthur stared on, meekly from behind Steve on the other side of the door, with an alarmed Melody and skeptical Mallory at her side.

"Steve Claus, you will not take that tone of voice with me." His mother said sternly, brow furrowed disapprovingly. "Besides, rubbish or not, it is past time you and Arthur settled down and gave your father and I some grand children. And these ladies are both perfectly suited to you and your needs, it was also an agreement between our families that children from both Santa Claus and Jack Frost's line would marry someday. At the very least you will spend some time getting to know them, do I make myself clear?"

Steve stared at his mother in astonishment. Was she out of her mind? An arranged marriage, in this day and age, it was absolutely absurd! But from the look on his mother's face and the nervous gleam in his father's eyes, Steve knew she wasn't joking. Then his father, speaking for the first time, gave an interesting compromise.

"How about this? These ladies will stay here with us for a total of 1 year, in other words next Christmas. If Steve and Arthur do not fall in love with these ladies by then or the ladies themselves wish to leave then the whole arrangement shall be forgotten. We've already heard as much from the girls' parents, are we agreed?" Malcom said questioningly looking around the room.

Then each person gave a reluctant nod to which Malcom said:

"Good, then we are agreed, 1 year and at the end if the participants do not fall in love, the agreement is null. Now shall we have some cookies to seal the deal?"

And with fervent agreement all around, the group shuffled around and drank and ate to the 1 year agreement, not knowing what that year would bring.


	4. Chapter 4: The Year According to Steve

Chapter 4: The Year According to Steve

The year began with the obvious "getting to know you stage," and at first it was actually somewhat pleasant for Steve, but now it was somewhat irritating. At first Melody's attention to detail was fascinating and somewhat flattering, but now it was getting in the way of Steve's day to day operations, it had only been 6 months and Steve was at the end of his rope. He didn't know what did it, whether it was her persistence or her inexplicably timed interruptions, but today, today he'd had enough.

"Melody, that's enough! I've tried to put up with your obviously lack of common sense for long enough, I'm sick of you disrupting my schedule and causing lags in production, would you kindly just LEAVE ME ALONE!" Steve shouted, feeling immensely relieved at the sudden weight off his chest. And then immediately felt the guilt when he looked at Melody's obviously broken expression.

"I…I…understand, please forgive my rudeness…I won't bother you again…I'm…I'm so sorry…" Melody said with a forlorn look, then turned toward the door to Steve's office and left.

Steve could almost swear he saw tears in her eyes, and the beginnings of sobbing send her shoulders trembling as she fled the room. Steve was stunned, he'd been frustrated before, but never had he been left with the feeling of having been almost…no unquestionably cruel. The kicked-puppy look Melody had on her face after he'd yelled at her had been excruciating, but he'd be darned to say another woman had frustrated him the way Melody had. And yet, the aching almost agonizing feeling in his chest wouldn't subside, he knew he had to apologize. However, as if his deepest wish from months past had come true, Melody disappeared from his day to day life, production had gone up and in 4 months they were caught up and even early on production schedule. So why, Steve thought, do I feel so empty? He tried talking to Melody, tried multiple occasions to apologize to her, but each time he even got within 10 feet of her, she dashed off and disappeared at every turn. If he knew that yelling at her had been the key to getting her to avoid him, the person he had been 10 months ago would have been thrilled, but now he only felt an aching loneliness. He hadn't realized how much her tender and sincere smile meant to him each day, or the sound of her soft melodic laugh, or even her quiet speech, until it was no longer present in his life. Finally, one day after trying to catch Melody for a better part of the day, there was a knock on his bedroom door; it was Melody. At first he didn't know how to react, part of him was glad to see her and part of him was furious for her avoidance, but before he could utter a single word she sealed her lips against his. All at once it felt like the universe was blazing, like every single fiber of his being was aflame and all at once his once perfect control slipped. He secured his fingers in her hair and placed his hand at her back and pulled her in to deepen the kiss, his tongue probed at her lips for entry which she willingly obliged. She ground her body into his and her undeniable softness against his male hardness was too much, his member stiffened and began to get harder and harder with each erotic gyration of her lush body. When it became too much he tore her clothes from her body, ripping the tight fitting bodice of her shirt and tearing open the denim trousers she wore. He practically tore her panties and bra in half and barely was cognizant of the skimpy and sexy design she wore. He feasted upon her lust breasts, stroking and caressing the soft flesh he found there, nipped at the taught points of her rosy nipples, while he stroked her slick crease. As they continued their erotic dance, with Melody bucking into his touch, she stroked his length with a passion he'd never experienced before. Then finally he could take no more and pushed her down upon his neatly made bed and thrust into her liquid core. He saw stars at the back of his eyes and was satisfied by the moans of ecstasy she made, he began to move with an uncontrolled ferocity that both frightened and excited him. He knew she was close as her opening tightened around him and he began moving even more fiercely into her until he could no longer hold back, then as suddenly as their passion had ignited, the two screamed their release. And Steve surrendered to the oblivion of sleep, knowing now more than ever what he'd fervently denied, he loved her. He was almost completely unconscious when she slipped out of his bed and into her discarded clothes. He barely even felt the tears falling from her eyes as she kissed his cheek and stroked his hair, then with the heavy feeling of resignation growing in the air she whispered into his ear with the rest of his consciousness fading away.

"Goodbye, I will always love you and wish for your happiness, even if it means a life without me in it. Be safe, my love."

And with those final words, Melody and his consciousness faded away into the blackness of slumber.

"Wake up, you no-good sack of garbage!" A voice bellowed, bringing Steve into a state of complete wakefulness.

Steve looked around completely confused, his bed was warm all but for the spot where Melody had laid beside him, his clothes were folded and placed neatly on his chair and both Melody and her clothes were nowhere to be seen. What he could see was a very nervous looking Arthur, a disapproving Mother, a slightly bemused Father, a demented Grand Santa, and a VERY angry looking Mallory standing at the foot of his bed. The latter was what concerned him the most.

"What on earth are all of you doing in my bedroom?" Steve said in a disgruntled tone.

"Don't give me that crap! I want to know what you did to my sister! I went to her room this morning and found this on the dresser and all of her things missing, now I want to know, what in the name of all that is good and jolly is going on! Explain. NOW." Mallory fumed looking every bit as shrill and terrifying as her personality led people to believe.

"What on earth are you talking about? Where is Melody?" Steve said concern beginning to grow by the second.

"Don't play dumb! My sister goes to your room last night to talk to you and today she's gone! If anyone's getting an answer it's gonna be me! So start talking!" Mallory exploded.

"Wait, first of all I have no idea what you're talking about, second you said there was a note, and third and most importantly WHERE IN GOD'S NAME IS MELODY?" Steve exclaimed finally going from concern to panic.

"Wow, babe your brother is an idiot. Let me spell this out for you, SHE IS GONE AND NEVER COMING BACK. Which was stated in her note, since you obviously don't have either the brain power or hearing to decipher the basics of our little back and forth. So here read for yourself."

Steve scanned the neatly printed note, noting tear stains and smears, it said:

"_Dearest Sister,_

_I know the agreement was for 1 year but I can no longer lie to my heart and knowing I love Steve Claus and having him despise me is more than I can bear, so I'm leaving. Sorry that I left without saying anything, but I couldn't stay here 1 more minute. Please give my regards and apologies to the elder Claus 'and Arthur I hope one day they'll forgive me. And finally tell Steve…that he's free, no marriage required. I hope to see you soon, good luck with Arthur, you two are perfect for each other, please understand if I don't come to your wedding, okay? _

_All my love,_

_Melody."_

Steve could barely believe his eyes, he read through the note again and again and still couldn't believe it. She loved him and believed he hated her, and he couldn't blame her. What had he done to prove otherwise? He'd all but told her she was an annoyance to him and had seemed to rejoice in her suffering. How could he have been so foolish? He took one look around the room and then consequences be damned, he leapt from his bed and quickly dressed. Ignoring the questioning looks he received, he retrieved his H.O.H.O. and grabbed to keys to the S1, this was a race against time and he only hoped he wasn't too late.

Racing the S1 through the strong gusts of the store his eyes scanned for Melody's familiar shape, it seemed like hours before he spotted a tiny flickering light coming from a cave in an outcrop of rock. He turned the S1 into camouflage mode and slipped into the cave, the sight he saw turned him to stone and a rock sank into the pit of his stomach. She was lying curled up on the cave floor, eyes closed and puffy from crying, her body curled into a broken huddled mass, he'd done this to her. What had he done? He crept to her side and just as began to reach toward her, Melody's eyes snapped open, darting around until they met his face and then she sat up and quickly scuttled to the back of the shallow cave. Her eyes showing the shadows of her grief and fear, slowly tears in his eyes he began to creep his way toward her. When he reached her, he drew her into his arms, shaking he murmured countless whispers of love and apology. Slowly she began to relax in his arms, he pulled back and looked into her beautiful eyes and said:

"I love you and I'm sorry it took so long to realize it. I never knew how important you were to me until you were gone. I know I'm a hard and unforgiving man, I don't deserve your love, but… please…please come back to me…I need you in my life, I couldn't imagine it without you…I promise from now on I will love and cherish you like you deserve. So please make eternity worthwhile to me, fill the emptiness in my life. Melody, marry me, become my wife, make me the happiest man in the world." Steve said shaking with the emotions he'd suppressed for so long.

Melody looked into his eyes and stroked his silver hair from his passion crazed eyes and said:

"Yes"

Tears in their eyes, they embraced and shared a passionate kiss that seemed to melt the ice and cold around them, enveloping them in a soft, warm and endless light.


	5. Chapter 5: The Year According to Arthur

Chapter 5: The Year According to Arthur

The year for Arthur was fraught with peril, trying to please Mallory at every turn, while also trying to fulfill his duties as Santa. He cooked her dinner, danced in the moonlight with her and even read in a comfortable chair with her beside the fire. Yet it seemed like nothing would penetrate the icy wall around her heart. Then one day, whether out of blind luck or stupidity Arthur asked the question that had been burned in his brain since he met his bride to be:

"Do you hate me?"

"What?" Mallory asked looking up from the thick novel she had been reading for the past hour. She squinted at Arthur's to bring him back into focus.

"I said, do you hate me?" Arthur asked again feeling slightly nervous.

"Why on earth would you say a thing like that?" Mallory asked looking obviously puzzled.

"Well because of how you act towards me, like everything I say or do is and imposition, and how you seem bored on our…um…dates." Arthur said timidly.

"Arthur, we've been hanging out for what…10 months now? What on earth makes you think I would hang around or even tolerate someone I hated? I don't even do that much for people I like." Mallory said plainly.

"Oh…then what do you think of me?" Arthur said feeling a little unsure.

"Ugh, do I have to spell it out for you? Can't you take a hint? You're special to me, Arthur, you're special because I love you." Mallory said looking both annoyed and embarrassed.

"You do? Thank goodness, because I love you too and I…can't hold it back any longer." Arthur said firmly, taking Mallory into his arms.

He felt her stiffen in surprise and felt her relax into his embrace, he took it as an invitation and leaned in to kiss her. All at once the culmination of many months wondering came full circle and he felt complete. He loved her and would spend every moment from this point on proving it to her. Gathering her in his arms he carried her to his bedroom, shock showing in every feature, she allowed him to do so. She never even gave resistance when he began stripping off her clothes. He took his time memorizing and loving her body with his tongue, worshiping her breasts, curves, and crease with his hands. However, when it became too much for Arthur to continue holding back she shoved him over onto his back, moving down the line of his body and swallowing him to the root. Her tongue loved him to the brink and when he thought he could take no more, she moved to straddle him and sheathed him in her warm wetness. It felt so good Arthur saw galaxies and the universe behind his lids and when she moved he thought she had killed him. She moved faster and faster until she could no longer stand it, her wetness clenching him so tight, that as she met her release, he went over the edge right along with her. And later holding her cooling body against his own, realized he'd never felt so right. If only that had been the end of it, the next morning he awoke to the sounds of Mallory pealing into the room like hell on wheels. She ranted on and on about her sister being gone and how it was his brother's fault. One thing he knew for sure, this would not end well. He followed Mallory to Steve's bedroom and watched his little spitfire ball out his brother. Watched her pace and wait for Steve to retrieve her sister and then watched her relief and anger at her sister and Steve's return. And finally watched her celebration at her sister's triumph, that's when he made his decision. He strolled up to Mallory, heart in his throat, got down on one knee and said:

"Mallory, I can't imagine my life being with anyone but you. You are my world and without you even Christmas dims to gray. I hope to spend the rest of my life with you. Mallory will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world…no…the universe?"

Mallory looked him over, her eyes widened and narrowed and finally she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and said:

"Yes."

Then with tears in her eyes kissed the breath from Arthurs lungs, and that's when he knew everything would be alright.


	6. Epilogue: Happily Ever After

Epilogue: Happily Ever After

*Ten Years Later*

Arthur and Steve looked at the scene around them and smiled at one another. It was a few months before Christmas and their families bustled about the living room. Steve's children Margaret, Eli, and Sean milling around with Arthur's children Emmett and Elaina. Steve's wife Melody was pregnant with their fourth child, her obvious baby bump protruding from her body, a healthy glow in her cheeks, sat knitting booties for the new arrival, smiling to herself. Arthur's wife Mallory was barking at the children to behave and get ready for dinner, with their mother shaking her head in the background. And Dad and Grandsanta sat in their matching recliners playing the Christmas game for the fifth time in a row. All was right with the world and there was no place they'd rather be than with their big, beautiful family. It had all started as an arrangement that turned into a battle for two girls for the love of their own special Christmas.

-The End.


End file.
